If You Want Results, Don't Avoid Drama, Create It

The human psyche is drawn to the unusual. A siren blaring down the road inspires immediate intrigue. A nasty conflict on a reality show wrangles our attention. And, gossip at work can capture our curiosity in an instant. Let’s face it; drama is difficult to resist.

There are, however, a few ironies about drama that shouldn’t be ignored. The first irony is that while all the situations mentioned above are true—they capture our attention—they also make us feel a little guilty. We don’t like the idea of being a nosey bystander while someone might be injured or in danger. We don’t like the idea of being the television viewer peering into someone’s misery or frustration. And, we all certainly know that gossip at work can be toxic to the culture, organizational performance and relationships.

The second irony about drama is even a little more interesting. Most of us characterize the word drama as negative. And, although a lot of drama is negative and toxic, it’s important to understand that positive drama can be just as intriguing.

“I was watching the news one day and I couldn’t take it anymore,” said Dete Meserve, author of a new book titled Random Acts of Kindness. “I stepped back and wondered if people would be just as enticed by goodness, kindness, and positive drama as they were by the negativity and nastiness we see in the world, on television, and coming out of Hollywood.”

While many of us find ourselves feeling “icky” about seeing so much negativity in the world around us, Dete Meserve might have one of the most interesting perspectives we’ve encountered—because when she’s not writing books, she is a film and television producer in Los Angeles with a huge list of recognizable credits to her name, like being Executive Producer of What Men Want (Paramount), Executive Producer of Ready Jet Go (PBS KIDS), and Producer and Screenwriter of Good Sam (Netflix).

“I had this idea to create a character that was based on kindness—a good Samaritan, if you will,” she said. “This is where the idea behind my novel Good Sam arose.”

Meserve’s goal, of course, was to create great, dramatic fiction. She accomplished that goal. Good Sam became a bestseller. In fact, the book was so popular that it will soon be released as a motion picture worldwide through Netflix. But, what Meserve told us she discovered during the research for the book is what truly grabbed our attention—the power of kindness, and the true stories of real-life heroes that seldom get acknowledged.

“During research, I had collected so many stories of human kindness, that I couldn’t resist exposing them to the world,” she told us. “These stories are just as compelling as any drama that Hollywood can dream up. But, these stories are actually changing the world because lives have been impacted in a positive way. This is why I wrote Random Acts of Kindness.”

As researchers who study appreciation, Meserve’s comments obviously struck a nerve with us. We also hear stories daily about how appreciation and recognition change relationships, build confidence, inspire commitment, and improve results at work. And, as we thought about Dete Meserve’s journey—discovering how kindness can be just as intriguing, just as addictive, and just as compelling to read about, watch, or hear about, we began thinking about how we might be able to create a new form of drama at work.

If you like drama like most of us, but don’t like the idea of engaging in negativity, try out these ideas. Let’s all see what can happen if we want to change our world at work.

1. Gossip, in a good way. Water-cooler talk can often be focused on weekend plans. But, we all know it can be negative gossip about our colleagues, bosses, and company as well. Let’s change this. The next time you find yourself in a situation where you think griping, assumption, and backstabbing might be common-place, start a new version of gossip—where you ask your colleagues if they heard about all the great work, endless energy, and positive influence a coworker is having on your team or in your organization. Tell stories about how they overcame insurmountable hurdles. See what kind of reaction you get. We bet the people listening will be just as intrigued—because positivity can be just as contagious as negativity.

2. Startle someone. Want to grab everyone’s attention? Startle a colleague with a recognition moment. We know, in many workplace cultures this sounds abrupt. But, we also know the impact it can have. Walk into the middle of your team and ask, “Can I have everyone’s attention?” They won’t know what you’re going to say. Intense, right? Then recognize a colleague who has done something great for you or your team. Tell the story about how much you appreciate their work, their effort, their knowledge on the last project, or their perseverance. When you’re finished with the story, close by saying, “I thought it was important to tell everyone. I think our team needs more of that.”

3. Get emotional. We’ll be honest; we’re not the most emotional guys on the planet. But, we do understand the blood, sweat, and tears that people give to their work. And, we understand the impact that is made when someone in your organization recognizes you for it. We’ve seen plenty of tears. It’s okay. We’ve witnessed plenty of speechless recipients of recognition. It’s okay. We’re all human and emotions are simple proof that we care about the people we work with, care about the results we produce, and recognize the opportunities we’re lucky to have.

Dete Meserve is onto something big. She believes—and we agree—that the world can be changed with dramatic kindness. At work, that translates into appreciation and recognition—the #1 thing research says inspires people to produce their best.